The Time Stealer
The Time Stealer was the fourth of 11 TOS stories produced by Peter Pan Records. It was initially released in 1975 as an audio production along with three other stories. It was subsequently repackaged with a nine-page comic book and as a solo audio product. This was the fourth of seven stories set during Captain James T. Kirk’s first five-year mission aboard the and the third of six with an associated comic book. In this story, the crew of the Enterprise tried to prevent an orbiting temporal disruption from affecting an inhabited planet. Introduction ;Ad for Peter Pan Records :“Federation freaks will hail these full-length adventures as the hottest thing since Vulcan ear-muffs! “A Mirror for Futility,” “The Time Stealer,” “Logistics of Stampede” and “To Starve a Fleaver,” all on a high-quality 33 1/3 RPM disc! Warning: do not play at Romulan sock-hops!” Summary :Captain's log... 6134.6 : The mysterious... time slow-down we're experiencing has affected... not only every crew member on board... but all the Enterprise's instruments and computer banks... it's as if... time itself were winding down... and us with it... :Captain's log, supplemental : Konrac and Klee were sincere. Their entire race was counting on them to wipe out the menace that had held their culture locked in a standstill for centuries. And now they had the help of a starship!’’ :Captain's log... stardate 6453.2. After using a long-range tractor beam to pull the Gola behind us for several days, we finally released it moments ago... as we orbited the star sun Spock’s calculations had pinpointed as the parent. All of us watched the screen in eager anticipation... References Characters :Pavel Chekov • Gola • James T. Kirk • Klee • Konrac • Leonard McCoy • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura Starships and vehicles : • Klee's warship Locations Atlantis • Earth • Konrac's planet Races and cultures :Human • Vulcan States and organizations :Federation • Starfleet Science and technology :computer • energy field • impulse power • intercom • lifeform • light-year • phaser • photon torpedo • science • sensor • shields • starships • time • tractor beam • transporter • transporter room • warp engine Ranks and titles :barbarian • captain • doctor • first officer • sorcerer • warrior Other references :battle-axe • bridge • centuries • galaxy • kilometer • sorcery • planet • sickbay • star • Vulcan nerve pinch • warship Timeline Chronology Production history * The Time Stealer was released seven times. It was initially released in 1975 on Peter Pan TOS record #2 of 23, a 33-rpm LP, along with To Starve a Fleaver, The Logistics of Stampede and A Mirror for Futility. This album was re-released in 1979 as record #10 with cover imagery. * It was released as a solo audio product on record #4 in 1975 and #17 in 1979. * It was released on a 33-rpm LP accompanied by a comic book, along with A Mirror for Futility, on record #8 in 1975 and #9 in 1979. * It was also released on audio with four other stories on record #23 in 1979. Appendices Background * Thought transmissions of the Gola were broadcast on the bridge, echoing a similar technique used to communicate with the cosmic cloud in . * Pavel Chekov was drawn to resemble Walter Koenig. His uniform was colored green when seen close-up but colored blue when seen from behind. * Montgomery Scott was drawn to resemble James Doohan on the cover of record #2. In the story he was depicted once, knocked unconscious in the back of the transporter room. * Hikaru Sulu and Nyota Uhura were not drawn to resemble George Takei and Nichelle Nichols. * The Gola’s time dilation effects were perceived by the people affected by it. That made it unusual when compared to how relativity and time dilation are normally experienced, as described by Albert Einstein in the Theory of General Relativity. For example, someone within the event horizon of a black hole would feel time progressing normally. He would be unaware that time was passing more quickly to those outside of the event horizon. * The cover to record #4 showed Konrac slicing through the arm of Kirk’s command chair with a battle-axe. While that did not happen in the story, the barbarian did expose some of the inner technology for the transporter room. * The inside cover of record #8 reproduced line art from the back cover as well as artwork from three other Power Records sets. In particular it included a Neal Adams/Dick Giordano illustration of Sherlock Holmes lighting a pipe and wearing his trademark hat, a scene often mimicked by Data. Information * John Buscema was attributed as artist for a set of pages depicting Konrac. (Heritage Auctions) Related stories * — The Guardian of Forever time portal, which generated waves of time displacement, said he was both being and machine. * — The Enterprise attempted to communicate with the cosmic cloud cosmozoan before it ingested the inhabited planet Mantilles. Images PR-Gola.jpg|''Enterprise'' faced the Gola PR-Klee-starship.jpg|Klee's warship PR-Konrac.jpg|Barbarian Konrac PR-Klee.jpg|Wizard Klee PR-Konrac-transporter.jpg|Konrac in the transporter room External links * * Peter Pan Records article at Sequart. Category:Audiobooks Category:TOS comics Category:1975 productions and publications